Red's Pikachu
Red's Pikachu is the sole starter Pokémon in for Red. As of , he is the highest-leveled Trainer-owned Pokémon in the main series games. He serves as Red's signature Pokémon. Pikachu first appears along the outskirts of , where Professor Oak will encounter and it. The player receives Pikachu after going into Professor Oak's Laboratory and attempting to take the starter , which will take instead. (Like all Pokémon from Generation I, Pikachu has no identified gender, but if traded to a Generation II game, Pikachu will be either male or female.) Pikachu replaces all of the other usual starter Pokémon, , , and , but these three Pokémon can be received during events later in the game. This Pikachu is also the only Pikachu found in Yellow; other Pikachu must be traded in from compatible games. After battling against Blue for the first time, the Pikachu will choose to stay out of its Poké Ball and follow the player around unless he faints, is put into storage, or is traded. Should the player speak to Pikachu, a small animation of his current emotion will pop up; this image can also be an indication of how much the Pikachu likes the player. (This makes Pokémon Yellow the first game to show Pokémon friendship, a mechanic that would become more prominent in Generation II.) Although the player's friendship with Pikachu does not have many uses in the game, it is vital if the player wishes to receive a Bulbasaur in Cerulean City. Besides showing Pikachu's emotions and friendliness, the game also shows animations of several other events, such as Pikachu learning . These also include: *If talked to right after the player loses to Blue in the Pokémon Lab, Pikachu will turn its back to the player. *If talked to right after the player wins against Blue in the Pokémon Lab, it will appear uninterested in the player. *If Pikachu is affected by a status condition, it will appear weak or in pain. If it is asleep, it will appear asleep when talked to. **Playing the Poké Flute outside of battle will wake Pikachu. *If Pikachu has just learned or Thunderbolt, it may shock the player if talked to. *In Pewter City's Pokémon Center, there is a that will a lullaby if talked to. After listening to the Jigglypuff, Pikachu will fall asleep and not move unless awakened by the player. The center's nurse will also comment on Pikachu's sleeping if talked to, instead of healing the party. Until the player awakens Pikachu, it cannot be deposited into the PC. *When the player goes to Bill's house and discovers that he has turned into a Pokémon, Pikachu will approach him and look confused. When Bill reappears in human form, Pikachu will appear to be shocked. *If the player walks into the Pokémon Fan Club in Vermilion City, Pikachu will approach a and fall in love with it. *If the player uses a fishing rod and then checks Pikachu, it will appear to have a bait bucket over its head. *If taken inside Pokémon Tower, Pikachu will appear to be scared. *If talked to right after the player catches a Pokémon, he will make a V with his fingers to represent victory. *If talked to after the player loses a battle, Pikachu will appear disappointed in and unsure of its Trainer. *This Pikachu will refuse a given to it in Yellow, and, if talked to after the player tries to use the stone, will shake its head in refusal. It will not evolve unless traded to another cartridge. (The player can obtain Raichu in Yellow either by trading one in or by using a Thunderstone on a Pikachu traded from another game.) After the player stores Pikachu in Bill's computer, Pikachu complains and becomes less friendly toward the player. The player is also unable to release Pikachu; if release is attempted, Pikachu will complain. In battle, Pikachu's animations and cry are different from other Pikachu, its voice based on 's. In the release of Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu can also participate in the . If the starter Pikachu from Yellow is traded to Generation II, it will be holding a . Red can be battled in Mt. Silver, with a level 81 Pikachu on his team. At the time, his Pikachu was the highest leveled Pokémon that could be battled in the main series. This Pikachu is likely to have been based on Red's Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow. Red's challenge at Mt. Silver returns in . He still uses Pikachu in these games; he is now level 88. This again makes him the highest level Trainer-owned Pokémon in the series, a title he lost to 's starter Pokémon on the release of only a year before. In the final battle, he is holding a . Red can be battled in the Champions Tournament of Pokémon World Tournament in . He uses his Pikachu as his signature Pokémon once again in the battle, though it, like all opponent Pokémon in the PWT, varies in gender. Red can be battled in . He uses his Pikachu as one of his Pokémon. Category:Game characters Category:Red, Blue and Yellow characters Category:Gold, Silver and Crystal characters Category:HeartGold and SoulSilver characters Category:Black 2 and White 2 characters Category:Sun and Moon characters